Religion:
Christian values are intertwined throughout the school day in various practices. Age-appropriate and meaningful Christian lessons are taught through songs, crafts, routines, and read alouds, which include:
 

• Daily prayer with our children

• During Christmas time, our children learn that Jesus is the best gift of all.

• We teach our children at Easter that Jesus loves us.

• Children in The Fours and Elementary School attend Chapel every month where they explore themes of God's love for us.

• Our Pastor regularly visits our younger classrooms to pray with our students and connect with them.

Preschool Curriculum: 

Our preschool students will learn basic academic concepts of literacy and math, such as counting, colors, patterns, and letter recognition. 

For our preschool threes and fours we use a combination of "The Good and The Beautiful", "Handwriting Without Tears" and "Explode the Code". 
 

• Students will gain social and school-readiness skills, such as making friends, sharing, and taking turns. 

• Students will be immersed in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) activities that invite them to think critically and experiment with hands-on learning.

• They will develop both large and fine motor skills, such as walking in a line and using a pencil properly.

• Students will experience daily creative art and sensory activities, such as free art, process art, sand & water table exploration, and more.

Elementary Curriculum: 
Our curriculum choices are rooted in faith, literature rich, with high moral standards. For the 24-25 school year we will be utilizing a combination of, "The Good and the Beautiful", "Math with Confidence", "Handwriting without Tears", "Explode the Code" and more. 

Our studies include:
Math, Literature, Phonics, Handwriting, Scripture, Bible, Poetry, Foreign Language, Geography, Memorization, Science and Nature Studies. 

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• All GCS students will be immersed in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) activities that invite them to think critically and experiment with hands-on learning.

Uniforms

Our students in kindergarten and elementary school are required to wear a uniform from Monday to Thursday, while enjoying the freedom to wear casual clothes on Fridays, known as "Free Dress Fridays".

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Our uniforms are designed to be simple, reasonably priced, and modest. They consist of khaki bottoms combined with a burgundy polo shirt. Girls have the option to wear skirts or jumpers, while boys can choose between pants or shorts.

Staff:
Our teachers are chosen for their dedication to meeting the developmental and educational needs of children. All staff members possess a wide variety of experiences and expertise in the area of Early Childhood Education. They have a variety of educational backgrounds from Child Development certifications to bachelor's degrees and credentials. Every staff member is fingerprinted, diligently vetted, CPR/First Aid certified, trained for emergency and disaster preparedness, and they stay up to date on all MSDE required trainings. 

Class Sizes:

We are proud of our small class sizes. 

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• 10 Children in each 2's class

• 15 Children in each 3's class

• 15 Children in each 4's class

• 16 Children in elementary classes

Every preschool class has one lead teacher and one assistant teacher at all times.

Our kindergarten and first grade classes have one lead teacher, a floating assistant and additional support as needed.

Food:

We serve snack every day in each class. We offer milk, water and a grain. We celebrate special events, holidays and birthdays with fun treats and class parties. 

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Each class meets the specific allergy needs of the students in that class. Some years a class will be nut, egg, etc. free.

Lunches are sent in from home for 3's, 4's and elementary school.  

Why half-day kindergarten?

There is evident value in both choices. Ultimately, it comes down to what is best for your child, and your family. I found this article to be worded well and helpful in articulating a case for both options. 

Full Article Here

"I wish I could tell you that there was a clear body of research that supported the half-day kindergarten or the full-day program. There are many different studies out there that show students who attend full-day kindergarten often do better in first grade and on standardized tests. However, there are also studies that show data that by the end of fourth grade there is no difference and children who took more time to play, create, and imagine, actually had better higher-level thinking skills long term". 

Security:
At GCS, we take the safety of children, staff and visitors very seriously. We work closely with police, fire and security experts to ensure that we have the appropriate measures in place.

For the 24-25 School Year you can count on: 

• Secured and monitored hallways and entrances and parking lots.

• Locked interior and exterior doors at all times. 

• Private student bathrooms in each preschool classroom.

• No staff and child alone 1:1 

• Outdoor playground area inaccessible to vehicles.

• Visitor check-in with verified identifications. 

• Evacuation plan for all emergency situations; shelter in place for weather related emergencies, etc. in place and practiced frequently.